Safety device for elevators.



Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

ATTO R N EY R. L. TAYLOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1913.,

cowluu PLANOGIAPM CO..WASHINGT SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

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,6? wlTNEssEs TINTTED STATES PATENT @EFTQE.

ROBERT LEE TAYLOR, OF MOUNT WASHINGTON, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO CHARLES A. BAU'GHAN, 0F CLIFTON FORGE, VIRGINIA.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

Application filed May 28, 1913. Serial No. 770.477.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, ROBERT L. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Washington, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Safety Device for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in safety devices for elevators.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of safety devices for elevators, and to provide a simple, practical and inexpensive safety device adapted to be readily applied to elevators, and capable in event of breakage of the cable or other flexible connection to which the car is attached of automatic operation and of instantly stopping the car without arring the same or the occupants thereof.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a safety device for elevators, constructed in accordance with this invention, and shown applied to acar. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken at right angles to Fig. 1 on the line 22 thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 designates an elevator car movable vertically between opposite guides 52 having vertical channels 3 and provided thereon with racks 4:, adapted'to be engaged Q by dogs 5 of the car 1 in event of breakage of the cable 6, or other flexible connection I to which the car is attached. The cable 6 is secured to an eye 7 of the upper end of a vertical rod 8, slidable through a top cross the upward movement of the said cross piece 9 or other suitable portion of the car Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17,1914.

1 and secured at its lower end to a vertically movable horizontally disposed cross head 10. The lower end of the rod pierces the cross head and is threaded for the reception of nuts 11, the cross head being secured between the nuts and a collar 12, washers 13 being preferably arranged at the upper and lower faces of the cross head and interposed between the same and thenuts and the collar. but the vertical bar may be secured to the cross head 10 in any other suitable manner.

cross head fits against the lower ends of the vertical stops or abutments 16, located above the cross head and preferably consisting of vertical frame members extending downwardly from the top cross piece 9 and having their. upper edges fitted against the same. By this arrangement, strong and secure means are provided for rigidly sus pending the car from the cable. The lower engaging ends of the stops or abutments 16 extend a short distance below the upper ends of the guide cleats or bars 14:, and the cross head 10 is movable downwardly from the stops or abutments and in event of breakage of the cable 6 is adapted to move downwardly from the stops or abutments into contact with the dogs 5 to throw the same into engagement with the racks 4 to check the car and prevent'the same fro-m dropping down the elevator shaft. The cross head 10 is adapted to drop by gravity into engagement with the dogs 5, but in order to insurea positive rapid downward movement of the said cross head and an instantaneous stopping of the car, a coiled spring 17 is disposed on the lower portion of the vertical rod 8 and is interposed between the top cross piece 9 and the'movable cross head 10. The coiled spring 17 is compressed when the cross head 10 is at the limit of its relative vertical movement and in contact with the stops or abutments, which limit head 10 and preven the excessive pressure of the coiled spring 17 by relieving the same of the weight of the car. The cross head 10 when supporting the weight of the elevator car is located a comparatively short distance above the dogs 5, and the spring 17 is adapted to throw the cross head 10 downwardly and through the same to actuate almost instantly the dogs to secure a quick stoppage of the car.

The dogs 5 are mounted on horizontal pivots 18 and operate in openings 19 0f vertical slides 20, located at opposite sides of the car and arranged in vertical guides 21 thereof. The lower engaging ends of the dogs 5 are preferably beveled, as shown, and are adapted to be thrown outwardly into engagement with the teeth of the racks 4 by the cross head. The pivots l8 pierce the dogs at the upper portions thereof, and the lower portions of the dogs are heavier than the upper portions and are adapted to maintain the dogs normally out of engagement with the racks through gravity. The dogs are provided at their upper ends with inclined arms 22, extending upwardly and inwardly into the path of the cross head 10 and adapted to be engaged by the same. The upper walls 28 of the slots or openings 19 are inclined and extend upwardly and inwardly and form stops or abutments for the arms 22 and limit the downward and inward swing of the engaging portions of the dogs. The lower gravity acting portions of the dogs maintain the upper arms 22 normally in contact with the upper walls 23 of the slots or openings and in the path of the cross head 10.

The guides 21 consist of openings having vertical grooves 2 1 in their opposite openings to receive tongues 25 of the slides, whereby the latter are slidably interlocked with the sides of the car. The upper ends of the vertical slides 20 are normally spaced from the upper ends of the guides 21, and they are cushioned by coiled springs 26, mounted on vertical rods 27 and interposed between the upper end walls of the openings of the guides 21 and the upper ends of the slides 20. The rods 27 which have their upper ends embedded in the sides of the car at the upper ends of the guides 21, extend downwardly in vertical bores or openings 28 of the slides 20. The coiled springs 26' are adapted to cushion the car and prevent jar of the same and the occupants thereof when the dogs 5 are thrown into engagement with the racks 1. Should the cable 6 break and release the cross head 10, the latter would be instantly moved downwardly by the coiled spring 17 and would throw the dogs 5 into engagement with the racks 1, thereby stopping the car and prevent the same from dropping. When the dogs engage the racks, the support of the car is transferred from the cross head to the slides 20, and the coiled springs 26, which operate to cushion the car, prevent any jar or jolt and render the locking action hardly perceptible. In event of breakage of the cable 6, the dogs 5 and their pivots 18 would be subjected to comparatively little strain when thrown into the racks 4 by the action of the cross head 10, owing to the cushioning action of the coiled springs 26 at the upper ends of the slides 20. This construction adds greatly to the safety of the device and eliminates the danger of breakage to which the dogs and their pivots would be subjected were the weight of the elevator and its contents suddenly thrown on them without the action of a cushion, which permits a vibration of the parts without injury to the locking mechanism.

What is claimed is 1. A safety device for elevators including a car having a relatively fixed portion, pivoted gravity acting dogs located at opposite sides thereof, means for slidably mounting the dogs on the car and for cushioning them, and separate means connected with the hoisting mechanism of the car and normally held by the same abutting against the said fixed portion of the car above the dogs and adapted in event of breakage of the hoisting mechanism to be released and to drop into engagement with the dogs for throwing the same outwardly to stop the car, the last mentioned means having a limited downward movement independent of the dogs.

2. A safety device for elevators including a car provided at opposite sides with relatively fixed abutments, pivoted gravity acting dogs located at opposite sides thereof, means for slidably mounting the dogs on the car and for cushioning them, and a cross head connected with the hoisting mechanism of the car and having its terminal portions guided on the car and normally held by the said hoisting mechanism against the fixed abutment 0f the car at a point above the said dogs and having a limited sliding movement on the car independent of the movement of said dogs, said cross head being adapted in event of breakage of the hoisting mechanism to be released from the same and to drop into engagement with the dogs for throwing the latter outwardly to stop the car.

3. A safety device for elevators including a car provided with a stop or abutment, pivoted gravity acting dogs located at opposite sides of the car, a cross head located above the said dogs and designed to be connected with the hoisting mechanism of the car and arranged to be held against the said stop or abutment by the said hoisting mechanism, said cross head being adapted when released to drop into engagement with the dogs for throwing the same outwardly to stop the car, and a spring normally held under pressure by the cross head and adapted to actuate the same to produce a quick downward movement thereof.

4. A safety device for elevators including a car, dogs located at opposite sides of the car and arranged to be thrown outwardly to stop the same, a cross head located above the dogs and adapted to drop into engagement with the same, a rod secured to the cross head and adapted to be connected with the hoisting mechanism of the car, a spring disposed on the rod and arranged to urge the cross head downwardly to produce a quick movement thereof in event of breakage of the hoisting mechanism, and stops or abutments located at opposite sides of the car and arranged to limit the upward movement of the cross head and adapted to relieve the said spring of the weight of the car.

5. A safety device for elevators including a car provided at opposite sides with guides and having stops or abutments at the upper ends thereof, a cross head designed to be connected with the hoisting mechanism of the car and slidable in the said guides and normally fitting against the said stops or abutments, and dogs mounted on the car independently of the said cross head and located below the same and having portions extending into the path of the cross head and adapted to be engaged thereby to throw the dogs outwardly to stop the car.

6. A safety device for elevators including a car having a relatively fixed portion, vertically slidable members mounted on the car at opposite sides thereof, means for cushioning the said members, dogs mounted on the members, and dog operating means normally held against the said fixed abutment of the car by the hoisting mechanism thereof and adapted to be released in event of breakage of the hoisting mechanism for throwing the dogs outwardly.

7. A safety device for elevators including a car having a relatively fixed portion, independently movable vertically slidable members mounted on the car at opposite sides thereof, separate cushioning means for the said members, gravity acting dogs carried by the said members, and dog operating means connected with the hoisting mechanism of the car and normally held against the said fixed portion of the car at a point above the dogs by the said hoisting mechanism and adapted to be released by the breakage of the same to throw the dogs outwardly.

8. A safety device for elevators including acar provided at opposite sides with vertical ways, vertically disposed slides guided in the said ways and provided with openings, dogs pivotally mounted in the openings and movable inward automatically, springs arranged at the upper ends of the slides for cushioning the same, a vertically movable cross head guided on the car and norm ally located above the dogs and adapted to move downwardly into engagement with the same to throw the dogs outwardly, and means for connecting the cross head with the hoisting mechanism of the car to maintain the cross head normally out of contact with the said dogs.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aifixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT LEE TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

GEORGE H. ALLEY, ERNEST L. ALLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

